Locking apparatus

ABSTRACT

A locking apparatus includes a handle, a hook and a handle magnetic device. The handle is pivotally connected to a cover of an electronic product. The hook has a first end pivotally connected to the handle and a second end with a locking part. The locking part is fastened to a base of the electronic product when the electronic product is locked. The handle magnetic device is located on a surface of the handle facing the cover of the electronic product for attracting a cover magnetic device of the cover of the electronic product after the locking part is fastened to the base of the electronic product. Furthermore, a folding electronic product with the locking apparatus is also disclosed in the specification.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 95142603, filed Nov. 17, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a locking apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a locking apparatus used in a folding electronic product.

2. Description of Related Art

People recently increase the need for the portable electronic product to fulfill their requirements, enjoying movies and music anywhere and anytime. The portable electronic product can be a folding electronic product having a cover and a base, such as a notebook computer or a tablet personal computer (tablet PC) having a base and a display. An appropriately locking between the cover and the base is a basic requirement for any folding electronic product. Taking a notebook computer or a tablet PC as an example, the appropriate locking between the display and the base can prevent the display, the keyboard or the touch pad from directly hitting the ground when the notebook computer or the tablet PC falls to the ground. Therefore, accidental damage can further be minimized.

SUMMARY

A locking apparatus includes a handle, a hook and a handle magnetic device. The handle is pivotally connected to a cover of an electronic product. The hook has a first end pivotally connected to the handle and a second end with a locking part. The locking part is fastened to a base of the electronic product when the electronic product is locked. The handle magnetic device is located on a surface of the handle facing the cover of the electronic product for attracting a cover magnetic device of the cover of the electronic product after the locking part is fastened to the base of the electronic product.

A folding electronic product includes a base, a cover, a fastener means, a handle means and a magnetic means. The cover is pivotally connected to the base. The fastener means is used for fastening the cover to the base. The handle means is used for handling the fastener means to fasten the cover to the base or to unfasten the cover from the base. The magnetic means is used for attaching the handle means to the cover after the fastener means fastens the cover to the base.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiment, with reference made to the accompanying drawings as follows:

FIG. 1 shows an electronic product having a locking apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an exploded diagram of the electronic product shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the locking apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows an exploded diagram of the locking apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5-6 show the electronic product of FIG. 1 with different views;

FIG. 7 shows a lateral view of the electronic product of FIG. 1 in the unlocked position; and

FIG. 8 shows a hook according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The locking apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention can be applied in a folding electronic product including a cover and a base. FIG. 1 shows an electronic product having the locking apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows an exploded diagram of the electronic product shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the electronic product 200 has a cover 210 and a base 230. The cover 210 has a first bearing 214 and the base 230 has a second bearing 232. The axle center of the first bearing 214 is aligned with the axle center of the second bearing 232. A pivotal pin 260 passes through the first bearing 214 and the second bearing 232 for pivotally connecting the first bearing 214 and the second bearing 232. The cover 210 can be separated into a bottom cover 210 a and a top cover 210 b. The first bearing 214 is located on one side of the bottom cover 210 a. The top cover 210 b includes a cover magnetic device 212 located on the surface thereof.

FIG. 3 shows the locking apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows an exploded diagram of the locking apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the locking apparatus 100 includes a handle 110, a hook 130 and a handle magnetic device 112. The handle 110 is pivotally connected to the cover 210 of the electronic product 200 shown in FIG. 1. The hook 130 has a first end pivotally connected to the handle 110 and a second end with a locking part 134. The locking part 134 is fastened to the base 230 of the electronic product 200 shown in FIG. 1 when the electronic product 200 is locked. Further referring to FIG. 1, the handle magnetic device 112 is located on a surface of the handle 110 facing the cover 210. The handle magnetic device 112 attracts the cover magnetic device 212 of the cover 210 after the locking part 134 is fastened to the base 230.

FIGS. 5˜6 show the electronic product 200 of FIG. 1 with different views. Referring to FIGS. 5˜6, while locking the electronic product, user may use the handle 110 to let the hook 130 to fasten the base 230. Then, the handle 110 is attached to the cover 210 by the magnetic force of the handle magnetic device 112 and the cover magnetic device 212. The process given above may be carried out reversely while unlocking the electronic product. For example, the handle 110 is detached from the cover 210 first, and then unfasten the cover 210 from the base 230 by the handle 110.

The handle magnetic device 112 can be a magnet or a ferromagnetic metal sheet. If the handle magnetic device 112 is a magnet, the cover magnetic device 212 can be a magnet or a ferromagnetic metal sheet. If the handle magnetic device 112 is a ferromagnetic metal sheet, the cover magnetic device 212 can be a magnet for attracting the handle magnetic device 112.

A folding electronic product including a locking apparatus is also disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention. The folding electronic product includes a base, a cover, a fastener means, a handle means and a magnetic means. The cover is pivotally connected to the base. The fastener means, such as the hook 130 shown in FIG. 3, is used for fastening the cover to the base. The handle means, such as the handle 110 shown in FIG. 3, is used for handling the fastener means to fasten the cover to the base or to unfasten the cover from the base. The magnetic means, such as the handle magnetic device 112 shown in FIG. 3, is used for attaching the handle means to the cover after the fastener means fastens the cover to the base.

FIG. 7 shows a lateral view of the electronic product 200 of FIG. 1 in the unlocked position. Referring to FIG. 7, the locking part 134 of the hook 130 has a protrusion 138. The surface of the base 230 opposite the cover 210 has an opening 234. When the electronic product 200 is locked, the protrusion 138 is inserted into the opening 234 to fasten the cover 210 to the base 230.

FIG. 8 shows a hook according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, the locking part 134 of the hook 130 has a hook magnetic device 140. The surface of the base opposite to the cover can have a base magnetic device (not shown). The hook magnetic device 140 is attached to the base magnetic device to fasten the cover to the base. Both of the base magnetic device and the hook magnetic device 140 can be magnet. The base magnetic device and the hook magnetic device 140 can also be a magnet and a ferromagnetic metal sheet, respectively.

The locking apparatus can further include an elastic means used for maintaining the relative position of the fastener means and the handle means, when the fastener means unfastens the cover from the base. Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the elastic means can be a torsion spring 160. The torsion spring 160 has a first end connected to the handle 110 and a second end connected to the hook 130 to maintain the relative position of the handle 110 and the hook 130.

Reference is made to FIG. 7. When the electronic product is unlocked, the handle 110 may be attached to the cover 210 by the handle magnetic device 112 (The location of the handle magnetic device is shown in FIG. 3). The torsion spring 160 may keep the locking part 134 of the hook 130 apart from the outer edges of the cover 210 and the base 230. Therefore, the locking part 134 of the hook 130 would not bump into the base 230 while the user closes the cover 210 of the electronic product 200.

The locking apparatus can further include a first connecting means for pivotally connecting the fastener means and the handle means. The first connecting means may include two coaxial channels 114, a rotary axis 136 and a pivotal pin 170 shown in FIG. 3. The coaxial channels 114 are located on the handle 110. The rotary axis 136 is located on the hook 130 and between the coaxial channels 114. The axle center of the rotary axis 136 is aligned with the axle center of the coaxial channels 114. The pivotal pin 170 passes through the coaxial channels 114 and the rotary axis 136 for pivotally connecting the hook 130 and the handle 110.

Referring to FIG. 3, the torsion spring 160 can be located between the rotary axis 136 and the coaxial channels 114. The pivotal pin 170 passes through the torsion spring 160, the rotary axis 136 and the coaxial channel 114. Therefore, the assembly process of the locking apparatus 100 can be simplified, and the efficiency of space allocation can be improved.

The folding electronic product further includes a second connecting means for pivotally connecting the handle means and the cover of the folding electronic product. The second connecting means may include a handle fixed part 116 and a cover fixed part 216 shown in FIG. 2. The handle fixed part 116 is pivotally connected to the cover fixed part 216. The second connecting means can further include a fixed member 218 and plural screws 220 to fix the handle fixed part 116 on the cover fixed part 216.

The electronic product 200 shown in FIG. 1 can be a notebook computer or a tablet personal computer (tablet PC). The cover 210 can be a display. The base 230 can be a host. The cover 210 and base 230 of the notebook computer or the tablet PC can be efficiently locked with each other by the locking apparatus 100. Therefore, the display, the keyboard or the touch pad of the notebook computer or the tablet PC would not directly hit the ground while the notebook computer or the tablet PC falls to the ground.

Besides, the torsion spring of the locking apparatus may keep the locking part of the hook apart from the outer edges of the display and the computer. Therefore, the locking part of the hook would not bump into the computer while the user closes the cover of the notebook computer or the tablet PC.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. 

1. A locking apparatus, comprising: a handle pivotally connected to a cover of an electronic product; a hook having a first end pivotally connected to the handle and a second end with a locking part, wherein the locking part is fastened to a base of the electronic product when the electronic product is locked; and a handle magnetic device located on a surface of the handle facing the cover of the electronic product for attracting a cover magnetic device of the cover of the electronic product after the locking part fastened to the base of the electronic product.
 2. The locking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handle magnetic device is a magnet or a ferromagnetic metal sheet for attracting the cover magnetic device of the cover of the electronic product.
 3. The locking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking part has a protrusion inserted into an opening located on the base of the electronic product.
 4. The locking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking part has a hook magnetic device for attracting a base magnetic device located on the base of the electronic product.
 5. The locking apparatus of claim 4, wherein the hook magnetic device is a magnet or a ferromagnetic metal sheet.
 6. The locking apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a torsion spring having a first end connected to the handle and a second end connected to the hook to maintain the relative position of the handle and the hook.
 7. The locking apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: two coaxial channels located on the handle; a rotary axis located on the hook and between the coaxial channels, wherein the axle center of the rotary axis is aligned with the axle center of the coaxial channels; and a pivotal pin passing through the coaxial channels and the rotary axis for pivotally connecting the hook and the handle.
 8. The locking apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pivotal pin passes through the torsion spring for locating the torsion spring between the handle and the hook.
 9. A folding electronic product, comprising: a base; a cover pivotally connected to the base; a fastener means for fastening the cover to the base; a handle means for handling the fastener means to fasten the cover to the base or to unfasten the cover from the base; and a magnetic means for attaching the handle means to the cover after the fastener means fastening the cover to the base.
 10. The folding electronic product of claim 9, further comprising: a first bearing located on the cover; a second bearing located on the base; and at least one pivotal pin passing through the first bearing and the second bearing for pivotally connecting the cover and the base.
 11. The folding electronic apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a connecting means for pivotally connecting the fastener means and the handle means.
 12. The folding electronic apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a connecting means for pivotally connecting the handle means and the cover.
 13. The folding electronic apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an elastic means for maintaining the relative position of the fastener means and the handle means when the fastener means unfastening the cover from the base.
 14. The folding electronic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cover is a display, and the base is a computer. 